Take Charge of Your Chronic Pain: Patient Stories

Marta Idowu never saw it coming: As she crossed the street in front of her office, she was — literally — hit by a truck. The impact tossed her 20 feet and the accident disrupted her life in ways she couldn’t have foreseen that day.

“I hurt my knee and back,” Marta says. “I didn’t have any broken bones, but over time, the pain got worse. I didn’t understand what was happening to my body.” She was suffering from chronic pain, which can take on a life of its own long after the initial condition has healed.

The road back to health

Marta’s early therapy included regular care with an occupational medicine physician and home visits from a physical therapist and nurse. “I was getting good care, but there was a hump I just couldn’t get over,” she says.

Marta’s doctor arranged a referral to the Franciscan Chronic Pain Management Program with the goals of improving her physical mobility, learning coping skills and reducing reliance on pain medication. The program focuses on giving individuals the tools and knowledge they need to cope with pain and to improve their ability to function and quality of life.

On track

“I still have some pain and I believe I always will,” Marta says. “But now, my pain doesn’t manage me — I manage it! At last, I feel like my old self again.”